Shonda Rhimes Flips The Script
Fast Company|September 2017

The introverted creator of TV's Grey's Anatomy and Scandal is developing her own digital-centric personal brand. Will she be the next Oprah?

Nicole LaPorte
Shonda Rhimes Flips The Script

One Monday afternoon, Shonda Rhimes sent me an email. The powerhouse behind ABC's Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, and how to get away with murder launched right in with a story. A Few days earlier, at the network's presentation to advertisers in New York, Executives announced that Scandal's upcoming seventh season would be its last. Rhimes wasn't at the event. She had skipped the trip to New York, choosing instead to live-stream the proceedings “in our Shondaland theater with all of our writers, editors, and the rest of the team.” Being in L.A. made her “glad,” she says, recalling her emotions in a single word. “Why was I glad? Because I didn’t have to actually face it. The decision I made. The decision to end a thing I love.” But there was another reason Rhimes stayed behind, one that was encapsulated by the selfie she included in the email: a black-and-white photo of her in sweats—no makeup, no blowout—staring intently into her MacBook. Rhimes has been busy lately, daydreaming up new projects and businesses fueled by a spirit of unyielding curiosity and experimentalism that she calls, simply, “What If We . . .” 

This story is from the September 2017 edition of Fast Company.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the September 2017 edition of Fast Company.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM FAST COMPANYView All
Orange Crush
Fast Company

Orange Crush

Y Combinator was designed to be a supercondensed version of Silicon Valley. Now that it's at full potency, can it maintain its outsider pose while being the ultimate insiders' network?

time-read
10+ mins  |
March - April 2024
10 TREND
Fast Company

10 TREND

FROM THE MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES | PLUS 606 HONOREES FROM ADVERTISING TO VIDEO

time-read
10+ mins  |
March - April 2024
THE WORLD'S 50 MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES
Fast Company

THE WORLD'S 50 MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES

THE 1920S, WATER WENT INTO A GENERATOR, AND DC POWER CAME OUT. NOW ELECTRONS GO INTO A GENERATOR, AND INTELLIGENCE COMES OUT.\"

time-read
10+ mins  |
March - April 2024
Reimagining the ways we work and meet
Fast Company

Reimagining the ways we work and meet

AS BUSINESS LEADERS RETHINK THEIR REAL ESTATE FOOTPRINT, THEY'RE EMBRACING SMALLER, HIGH-QUALITY, AMENITY-RICH SPACES THAT ARE MORE FOCUSED ON HUMAN CONNECTION.” IN OTHER WORDS, CONVENE.

time-read
2 mins  |
March - April 2024
Hollywood
Fast Company

Hollywood

AI is going to transform Hollywood But it won't be the horror story everyone's afraid of.

time-read
7 mins  |
Winter 2023-2024
Chick-Fil-A's New Testament
Fast Company

Chick-Fil-A's New Testament

Boycotted for years by liberals - and now by conservatives, too - a christian-driven brand is trying to walk the narrow path toward growth. What happens next could be enlightening for businesses everywhere.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Winter 2023-2024
The Office You Want
Fast Company

The Office You Want

Business leaders want workers back. Workers are loath to resume their commutes. We asked five leading design firms to create plans that might make leaving home seem worthwhile.

time-read
8 mins  |
Winter 2023-2024
Fan With a Plan
Fast Company

Fan With a Plan

Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin parlayed a ski shop in suburban Philly into a $31 billion sports apparel juggernaut. Now, he's adding trading cards, gambling, live events, and more.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Winter 2023-2024
The Helpful Hardware Man
Fast Company

The Helpful Hardware Man

Marques Brownlee has rewired the way people shop for gadgets-and how companies sell them. Inside the humble factory with the power to shape the $1 trillion consumer electronics industry.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Winter 2023-2024
PIZZA, ROBOTS, and MONEY
Fast Company

PIZZA, ROBOTS, and MONEY

THE ZESTY TALE OF ONE OF THE BIGGEST FLOPS IN SILICON VALLEY HISTORY

time-read
10+ mins  |
Winter 2023-2024